Master thesis

Increasing compliance to a request by means

of the Foot-in-the-door technique or the

Door-in-the-face technique?

Investigation of a potential moderating effect of mood and

buying motivation.

Lotte Sterling

March 2016

FACULTY OF BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES

COMMUNICATION STUDIES

EXAMINATION COMMITTEE

Prof. dr. Ad Pruyn

Dr. Thomas van Rompay

http://www.utwente.nl/en/

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Table of content

1. Introduction ......................................................................................................................................... 4

2. Theoretical framework ........................................................................................................................ 6

2.1 Social influence ............................................................................................................................. 6

2.2 The Foot-in-the-door technique ..................................................................................................... 7

2.3 The Door-in-the-face technique .................................................................................................... 8

2.4 The influence of mood .................................................................................................................. 9

2.5 The influence of buying motivation ............................................................................................ 11

2.6 Automaticity ................................................................................................................................ 12

3. Methodology ..................................................................................................................................... 14

3.1 Experimental design .................................................................................................................... 14

3.2 Procedure ..................................................................................................................................... 15

3.3 Measures ...................................................................................................................................... 16

3.4 Research sample .......................................................................................................................... 17

3.5 Reliability .................................................................................................................................... 17

3.6 Participants .................................................................................................................................. 18

4.Results ................................................................................................................................................ 19

4.1 Manipulation check ..................................................................................................................... 19

4.2 Main effects ................................................................................................................................. 19

4.2.1 Type of influence technique .................................................................................................. 21

4.2.2 Mood ..................................................................................................................................... 21

4.2.3 Buying motivation ................................................................................................................. 22

4.3 Interaction effects ........................................................................................................................ 24

4.4 Additional analyses ..................................................................................................................... 26

4.5 Mediation effects ......................................................................................................................... 27

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5.Discussion .......................................................................................................................................... 28

5.1 Discussion of the results .............................................................................................................. 28

5.2 Limitations and future research ................................................................................................... 31

6. Conclusion ......................................................................................................................................... 33

References ............................................................................................................................................. 34

Appendix I: Experiment ................................................................................................................ 37

Appendix II: Translated experiment .............................................................................................. 44

Appendix III: Buying motivation stimuli ...................................................................................... 50

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Abstract

This research investigated which type of influence technique the Foot-in-the-door technique

or the Door-in-the-fact technique is most effective in compliance gaining. Additionally, is

investigated whether there is a moderating effect of mood and buying motivation on the

relationship between type of influence technique and compliance. It was hypothesized that

amount of processing mediated the effects in this research. In total 240 persons participated in

this study, including 143 males and 97 females. The study contained twelve research

conditions, which were based on the type of influence technique (Foot-in-the-door technique/

Door-in-the-face technique), mood (positive/ negative) and buying motivation (positive/

negative). The results of the study indicated that the Foot-in-the-door technique and the Door-

in-the-face technique are equally effective in gaining compliance. This outcome is in line with

the argument of Cialdini (1975) that both influence techniques are equally effective in gaining

compliance. The mediation analysis showed that there was no mediating effect of amount of

processing on the relationship between type of influence technique and compliance or on the

other investigated relationships in this study. Furthermore, positive mood moderated the

relationship between type of influence technique and compliance. In addition, the study

revealed a significant moderating effect of buying motivation. In case of a negative buying

motivation (e.g. painkillers), one has a greater compliance as opposed to a positive buying

motivation (e.g. chewing gum). Additional analyses have shown that gender moderated the

effect of buying motivation on the relationship between type of influence technique and

compliance.

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1. Introduction

Probably everyone can relate to the question ‘Why did I comply with that fundraiser who

asked me to donate money to charity, to leave personal information, or to buy a certain

product?’ And why was it so difficult to just say ‘no’ to that fundraiser? The answer to that

question is probably due to the fact that a social influence technique is being applied. An

influence technique is in fact a smart persuasion attempt in order to increase the chance one is

saying ‘yes’ to a certain request (compliance).

According to Cialdini and Goldstein (2002) there are multiple social influence techniques

which can be performed in order to gain compliance to a certain request. Compliance refers to

a particular response which is agreement to a particular kind of request. The request could be

either explicit (charitable donations) in which one is by example asked to donate money or

implicit (political advertisements) in which the qualities of the political candidate are

highlighted but one is not directly asked to vote for this politician. Although in both situations

the persuasion target is aware of the fact being encouraged to react in a desired way (Cialdini

& Goldstein, 2004). In addition, according to Cialdini and Goldstein (2004) there are six basic

influence principles which explain how a person might influence another; these principles can

be labeled as: liking, reciprocation, commitment and consistency, scarcity, social validation

(social proof) and authority. As an example an old Chinese proverb states “Favors from others

should be remembered for a thousand years”, which is based on the norm of reciprocity

(Cialdini & Goldstein, 2002). This norm emphasizes that we are (or feel) obliged to repay

others for what we have received from them. This might function as a guideline for our own

behavior but could also make us vulnerable for influencing attempts of someone else.

This research will focus on the more subtle effects of social influence which are indirect and

outside consciousness. Therefore the effects of the Foot-in-the-door (FIDT) and Door-in-the-

face (DIFT) techniques will be investigated, which are influence techniques with reverse

procedures of each other. Like many influence strategies the Foot-in-the-door strategy

presents a small initial request which is difficult to refuse. Compliance with the first request

induces the self-perception of being a person who complies with these kinds of requests. This

self-perception increases the chance of compliance to the more substantial target request. On

the other hand the Door-in-the-face technique is working by first making an excessive request

which most likely will be rejected and then asking the more moderated favor which is the

target request. It is generally supposed that this influence technique is working due to the fact

that the influencer is making an obvious concession by down-sizing the initial request

(Cialdini et al., 1975).

According to Cialdini (1975) the FIDT and DIFT are equally effective in compliance gaining.

In contrast to this claim this experiment predicts that they are not equally effective in

compliance gaining, due to the amount of processing they require. The FIDT procedure might

lead to less processing in comparison to the Door-in-the-face procedure. The Foot-in-the-door

procedure might function more automatically and therefore requires less mental effort. The

sequence of requests is in a kind of ‘flow’ which might lead to less thinking as opposed to the

DIFT. The Door-in-the-face procedure might involve more mental effort because after the

rejection of the first request one might be willing to make a concession. One might feel the

normative strain to match the concession of the downsized third request, which requires a

certain amount of mental effort.

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Literature suggests that the effectiveness of a persuasion attempt can be moderated by general

forms of affect such as mood (Mitchell, 2000). However, mood is a broad term and may

contain many different states. In current literature about moods scholars have generally

defined positive mood as happy and negative mood as sad (Bless, Mackie & Schwarz, 1992;

Mitchell, 2000; Wegner & Petty, 1994). This study will examine the effects of happy

(positive) and sad (negative) moods, due to the fact that previous research suggests that a

positive mood will lead to less cognitive processing and a negative mood will increase one’s

cognitive effort (Mitchell, 2000). So, a positive mood will lead to less cognitive processing

compared to a negative mood. One’s amount of processing is of importance due to the fact

that it has an effect on the type of message processing one is using and therefore on the

effectiveness of the influence technique.

There are two types of message processing, systematic and heuristic message processing.

Systematic processing is characterized by a careful and effortful evaluation of the message

which requires high cognitive effort (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993). Heuristic message processing

on the other hand concerns making use of heuristic cues (Petty & Cacioppo, 1981). Eagly and

Chaiken (1993) argued that this type of reasoning is a limited mode of information processing

which requires little cognitive effort. Moreover, heuristic processing occurs when message

receivers make use of mental shortcuts instead of issue relevant thinking to determine their

attitude (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993). So, the type of processing is of importance concerning the

effectiveness of the influence technique. Thus, literature suggests that a person’s mood state

will influence one’s amount of processing which will affect the effectiveness of the influence

technique. This research will test the assumption of Mitchell (2000) that mood affects the

effectiveness of the influence technique. Moreover, we expect that amount of processing will

function as a mediator variable in this relationship and therefore could explain the amount of

effect on the dependent variable compliance.

This research additionally investigates the role of buying motivation (positive/ negative). A

positive buying motivation is represented by chewing gum and a negative buying motivation

by painkillers. Due to the fact that we expect that buying motivation will influence one’s

amount of processing as well, which would mean that the effectiveness of an influence

technique might also dependent on one’s buying motivation. This effect could be caused due

to the fact that a negative buying motivation leads to more processing (less obvious or

impulsive purchase?) as opposed to a positive buying motivation. Besides, we expect that in

this relationship amount of processing will function as a mediator variable as well and

therefore explains the amount of effect on compliance.

To conclude, this research investigates the following main research question: which influence

technique the Foot-in-the-door technique or the Door-in-the-face technique is most effective

in compliance gaining? and is there a moderating effect of mood and buying motivation on

this relationship?

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2. Theoretical framework In this chapter relevant literature related to social influence, the Foot-in-the-door technique,

the Door-in-the-face technique, the influence of mood, the influence of buying motivation

and the role of automaticity in the process of influencing one’s behavior will be discussed.

Additionally, this theoretical framework includes hypotheses about the relationships between

variables, which are illustrated by figures of a potential mediator variable amount of

processing. Finally, the research model is displayed in Figure 2.4 to give an overview of all

variables involved in this experiment.

2.1 Social influence

The research field of social influence is known for the demonstration and explanation of

psychological manifestations, which are often occurring in direct response to open social

forces. In the history of this field of study some of the most memorable researches are those in

which participants are struggling to understand and react in line with their own judgments and

the external pressure of doing different. Probably the most well know researches are those

conducted by Milgram (1974) about obedience and authority, in which a man was driven very

far by a stranger wearing a lab coat and Asch (1956) about a line- judgment conformity

experiment, in which a man is confused by an incorrect consensus against the chance of an

incorrect own observation. As in many classical illustrations the targets of influence were

faced with explicit social forces that are inside the conscious awareness of that particular

person. In contrast Freedman and Fraser (1966) conducted a renewing research about the

Foot-in-the-door technique, which is an example of a compliance gaining technique without

open pressure; they have revealed the more subtle aspects of social influence. In the past few

years scholars tend to investigate the more subtle effects of social influence which are indirect

and outside one’s consciousness.

According to Cialdini and Goldstein (2002) there are multiple social influence techniques

which can be performed in order to gain compliance to a certain request. Compliance is

referring to a particular response which is agreement to a particular kind of request. The

request could be either explicit (charitable donations) in which one is by example asked to

donate money or implicit (political advertisements) in which the qualities of the political

candidate are highlighted but one is not directly asked to vote for this politician. Although in

both situations the persuasion target is aware of the fact being encouraged to react in a desired

way (Cialdini & Goldstein, 2004). In addition, according to Cialdini and Goldstein (2004)

there are six basic influence principles which explain how a person might influence another;

these principles can be labeled as: liking, reciprocation, commitment and consistency,

scarcity, social validation (social proof) and authority.

Furthermore, diverse influence techniques have been studied during the past decades,

including the Foot-in-the-door technique and the Door-in-the-face technique (Janssen, Fennis

& Pruyn, 2008). Both influence strategies increase behavioral compliance by means of

sequential requests. In case of the Foot-in-the-door technique (FITD) the first request will be

small; so many people would comply with it. This request is followed by a second or third,

larger, request which is the target request (Dillard, Hunter & Burgoon, 1984).

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The Door-in-the-face technique (DIFT) has the opposite procedure of the FITD. The initial

request should be quite large, so most people would reject it. Subsequently, the second or

third, target request will consist of asking for compliance to a smaller, more moderate request

in comparison to the first request. Thus, in both techniques the second or third request is the

target behavior (Dillard, Hunter & Burgoon, 1984). Both influence techniques will be more

thoroughly discussed in the following paragraphs.

2.2 The Foot-in-the-door technique

The Foot-in-the-door technique is based on the heuristic principle of commitment and

consistency and is a compliance gaining strategy aimed at taking advantage of one’s basic

desire for consistency (Freedman & Fraser, 1966). Freedman and Fraser (1966) investigated

the Foot-in-the-door technique as a procedure in order to increase compliance with a certain

request or favor and found that gaining one’s compliance with a small request significantly

increases that chance one complies with a subsequent larger request. Thereafter, several

studies examined the effect of the Foot-in-the-door technique and have shown that the

employment of this influence technique in general leads to increased compliance, mainly due

to the fact that people are willing to behave consistently across situations (Burger, 1999).

Like many influence strategies the Foot-in-the-door strategy presents a small initial request

which is difficult to refuse. Compliance with the first request induces the self-perception of

being a person who complies with these kinds of requests. This self-perception increases the

chance of compliance to the more substantial second target request. According to Freedman

and Fraser (1966) is the shift in one’s self-perception functioning as a mediator of this

influence technique. In addition, several studies which examined the effect of the Foot-in-the-

door technique have shown that the employment of this influence technique in general leads

to an increased compliance, mainly due to the fact that people are willing to behave

consistently across situations (Burger, 1999). In addition, Cialdini and Trost (1998) argued

that people have a strong need to enhance their self-concept by means of behaving

consistently with their beliefs, actions and statements (Cialdini & Trost, 1998). This

assumption is the basis of a lot of recent studies in the field of compliance gaining research.

However, the most commonly used theoretical framework for the FITD is the self- perception

theory of Bem (1967). According to Bem (1967) people draw conclusions about own attitudes

and beliefs in the same way as they do about the expectations of others. The core of this

theory can be expressed by the following quote; ‘individuals come to know their own

attitudes, emotions, and other internal states partially by inferring from observations of their

own behavior and/ or the situation in which this behavior occurs’ (Bem, 1972, p.2). In case

one’s behavior is adopted in freedom of choice the conclusion will be that he or she has

caused their own behavior. Moreover, this perception of one’s self-motivated behavior will

cause a change in one’s self concept. In addition, Freedman and Fraser (1966) suggested the

following statement concerning the explanation of their research results: ‘What may occur is a

change in the person’s feelings about getting involved or about taking action. Once he has

agreed to the request, this attitude may change. He may become, in his own eyes, the kind of

person who does this sort of things, who agrees to requests made by strangers, who takes

action on things he believe in, who cooperates with good causes’(p. 201).

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Finally, let’s illustrate the FIDT with an example of a fundraiser who is approaching you on

the street. The fundraiser asks if you are willing to answer a few questions about his charity

work (initial request). Then, after you answered these seemingly harmless questions the

charity worker will ask you to support by donating money (Janssen, Fennis & Pruyn, 2008).

According to Burger (1999) the chance that a person will donate money is greater as opposed

to asking for the donation right away. Thus, one effective way in order to obtain compliance

to a request is by starting with a small request, and then move on to the second larger request,

which is the target request. This research contains three sequential requests which are aimed

at gaining compliance with the third (target) request.

2.3 The Door-in-the-face technique

In contrast to the FIDT there is a method which has the exact opposite procedure (Cialdini et

al., 1975). This method is called the Door-in-the-face technique and works by first making an

excessive request which most likely will be rejected and then asking the more moderated

favor which is the target request. It is generally supposed that this influence technique works

due to the fact that the influencer makes an obvious concession by down-sizing the initial

request (Cialdini et al., 1975). In addition there is evidence in literature suggesting that this

influence technique would be effective in gaining compliance. According to Gouldner (1960)

the DIFT is based on the heuristic principle of reciprocity, which is in fact a rooted motivation

to return a favor. Furthermore, Gouldner (1960) is suggesting that a norm of reciprocity exist

in all societies and could be simply explained by ‘you should give benefits to those who give

benefits.’ (p.170). Cialdini et. al., (1975) argued that this norm of reciprocity causes one’s

need to make a concession in return and complying with the milder second request.

Furthermore, Cialdini et al., (1975) argued that the norm of reciprocity also govern other

types of social exchange and states that the norm of reciprocity could simply be explained by

‘you make concession to those who make concession to you’, which has an important

function in society due to the fact that it often happens in conversations or negotiations that

one starts with demands which are not acceptable for the other. Then, in order to achieve

common goals compromise is crucial. Thus, the DIFT strategy could be compared to a

bargaining strategy (Cialdini et al., 1975).

Despite there is no implicit rule that a compromise by one should be reciprocated by the other

there are many examples of reciprocal concessions in our language ‘give and take’, ‘meeting

the other halfway’ etc. (Cialdini et al., 1975). So, it seems that by first asking an extreme

request which will probably be refused and then asking the smaller downsized request, the

other party feels a normative strain to match the concession. In addition, according to Burger

(1986) it appears that by means of rejection of the first request the anchor point against which

the judgment is made could change. The chance that the second request is falling in one’s

range of acceptance is increased in case the anchor point is raised by the first request.

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According to Cialdini (1975) the FIDT and DIFT are equally effective in compliance gaining.

In contrast to this claim this research predicts that they are not equally effective in compliance

gaining, due to the amount of cognitive processing they require, displayed in Figure 2.1.

There is currently no literature available which describes a potential difference in amount of

cognitive processing between the Foot-in-the-door and the Door-in-the-face technique. The

prediction in this study is based on the fact that the sequential request procedure differs,

which requires a different amount of processing. The FIDT procedure might lead to less

processing in comparison to the Door-in-the-face procedure. The Foot-in-the-door procedure

might function more automatically and therefore requires less mental effort. The sequence of

requests is in a kind of ‘flow’ which might lead to less thinking as opposed to the DIFT. The

Door-in-the-face procedure might involve more mental effort because after the rejection of

the first request one might be willing to make a concession. One might feel the normative

strain to match the concession of the downsized third request, which requires a certain amount

of mental effort. Additionally, we predict that the relationship between type of influence

technique and compliance is mediated by one’s amount of processing.

Hypothesis 1a: The FIDT results in a greater compliance as opposed to the DIFT.

Hypotheses 1b: The relationship between type of influence technique and compliance is

mediated by one’s amount of processing.

Influence technique: Compliance FIDT vs. DIFT

Amount of processing

Figure 2.1 Predicted mediation of amount of processing

2.4 The influence of mood

Communication scholars already paid attention to the influence of mood in the persuasion

process. According to Dillard and Meijnders (2002) the effects of discrete emotions can be

significant. However, these effects are not limited to mere discrete emotions. Mitchell (2000)

argued that the effectiveness of a persuasive message could be affected by one’s mood, which

is a general form of affect. A positive mood leads to less cognitive effort and a negative mood

increases one’s cognitive effort (Mitchell, 2000), which affects the effectiveness of the

influence technique. Furthermore, Mackie and Worth (1989) argued that one’s ability to

process a persuasive message is obstructed by one’s positive mood. Thus, one in a positive

mood is not able to systematically process the persuasive message, which increases the

effectiveness of the influence technique. Since this claim, more and more literature is

proposing that one’s mood moderates persuasive message effects.

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According to Frijda (1993) in literature moods are considered as affective experiences that are

persistent and are lacking a particular cognitive referent. So, as opposed to an emotional state,

moods tend to be more lasting and the experience is generalizable to more than only the affect

causing event. In addition, in current literature about mood effects on persuasion positive

moods are being induced as happy and negative moods as sad (Bless, Mackie & Schwarz,

1992; Mitchell, 2000; Wegener & Petty, 1994). Besides, neutral mood inductions appear to be

without affective content (Bless et al., 1992; Wegener et al., 1995). In the experiment of

Bohner and Weinerth (2001) respondents were asked to recall a fearful life event to induce

negative mood. Finally, it is of importance to mention that most studies share the assumption

that mood effects are generalizable beyond the affect-inducing stimulus.

Previous research concerning possible mood effects in the persuasion process were mainly

focused on how one’s mood affects one’s type of processing when faced with a persuasive

message. This is often related to the heuristic-systematic model of persuasion of Chaiken

(1980). This model states that there are two types of message processing named systematic

and heuristic message processing. Systematic processing is by a careful and effortful

evaluation of the message (high cognitive effort) (Eagly & Chaiken, 1993). Heuristic message

processing is concerning message recommendations making use of heuristic cues (low

cognitive effort) (Petty & Cacioppo, 1981). Furthermore, Eagly and Chaiken (1993) argued

that this type of reasoning is a limited mode of information processing, which requires little

cognitive effort. Moreover, heuristic processing occurs when message receivers are making

use of mental shortcuts instead of issue relevant thinking to determine their attitude (Eagly &

Chaiken, 1993).

So, literature claims that the effectiveness of a persuasion attempt can be moderated by

general forms of affect such as mood (Mitchell, 2000) due to the fact that a positive mood

leads to less cognitive effort and a negative mood increases one’s cognitive effort (Mitchell,

2000). One’s amount of processing is of importance due to the fact that it has an effect on the

type of message processing one is using. Worth and Mackie (1987) argued that people in

positive mood lack the cognitive ability to process a message systematically and according to

Bohner et al., (1992) they lack the motivation for systematic processing. Furthermore,

literature states that a positive mood results in less systematic processing and a negative mood

increases systematic processing.

According to the above mentioned literature a person’s mood state influences one’s amount of

processing which affects the effectiveness of the influence technique. This research test this

assumption of Mitchell (2000) that positive mood leads to less cognitive effort and test a

potential moderating effect of mood on the relationship between type of influence technique

and compliance. Moreover, we predict that amount of processing functions as a mediator

variable and therefore qualifies the effect of mood on compliance, displayed in Figure 2.2.

Hypothesis 2a: A positive mood results in a greater compliance as opposed to negative mood.

Hypothesis 2b: The relationship between mood and compliance is mediated by amount of

processing.

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Hypothesis 2c: Mood moderates the relationship between type of influence technique and

compliance.

Amount of processing

Type of influence technique Compliance

FIDT vs. DIFT

Mood

Figure 2.2 Predicted mediation of amount of processing and moderation of mood

2.5 The influence of buying motivation

This research additionally investigates a potential moderating effect of buying motivation

(positive/ negative). A positive buying motivation could be represented by products such as

chewing gum, sweets and chocolate and a negative buying motivation could be represented by

products such as painkillers, nose spray and eye drops. This because we expect that buying

motivation influences the effect of the conducted type of influence technique on compliance

as well, which would mean that the effectiveness of an influence technique might also

dependent on one’s buying motivation. This effect might be caused due to the fact that a

negative buying motivation leads to more processing (less obvious or impulsive purchase?),

which affects the effectiveness of the influence technique. Besides, we expect that amount of

processing functions as a mediator variable in this relationship and therefore might explain the

amount of effect on compliance, displayed in Figure 2.3. Furthermore, we expect that due to a

lower amount of processing one is less critical as opposed to a high amount of processing,

which might result in greater compliance.

Hypothesis 3a: A positive buying motivation results in a greater compliance as opposed to a

negative buying motivation.

Hypothesis 3b: The relationship between buying motivation and compliance is mediated by

one’s amount of processing.

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Hypothesis 3c: Buying motivation moderates the relationship between type of influence

technique and compliance.

Amount of processing

Type of influence technique Compliance

FIDT vs. DIFT

Buying motivation

Figure 2.3 Predicted mediation of amount of processing and moderation of buying motivation

2.6 Automaticity

Current research in the field of persuasion is increasingly emphasizing processes that are

subtle and outside people’s awareness (Janssen, Fennis & Pruyn, 2008). In addition, Cialdini

and Goldstein (2004) argued that the notion of automaticity has been forwarded as the key of

all influence. When people are confronted with a social influence technique it appears that

instead of a perceptive awareness of the situation people tend to respond ‘thoughtless’

(Janssen, Fennis & Pruyn, 2008). In this situation of decreased mental alertness people tend to

rely on habit and routine and are therefore making use of mental shortcuts or simple heuristics

in order to make a decision. In this research we predict that a low amount of processing

results in a greater compliance due to the fact that people respond more ‘thoughtless’ as

opposed to a high amount of processing.

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Amount of processing

Influence technique: C Compliance

FIDT vs. DIFT

Mood Buying motivation

Figure 2.4 Research model Moderated Mediation

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3. Methodology

This chapter presents the research methodology and starts with the explanation of the

experimental research design including the twelve research conditions. Then, the procedure of

this experiment is discussed and the experiment will be further explained by the measures that

are conducted in this research. Then, the sampling technique and research sample are

explained. Finally, the reliability of the constructs and the participants are specified, which is

determined after the execution phase of the study.

3.1 Experimental design

As displayed in Table 3.1 this research has an experimental 3x2x2 between-subjects factorial

design. The first factor is mood (positive/ negative/ neutral); the second factor is buying

motivation (positive/ negative); and the third factor is type of influence technique (Foot-in-

the-door technique (FIDT)/ Door-in-the-face-technique (DIFT). This research design

including twelve conditions will examine the influence of these three factors on one’s attitude

towards the product and compliance to a request . Finally, the control condition (neutral

mood) is of importance in order to measure any difference of the positive/ negative mood

manipulations opposed to no mood manipulation, which will generate some insight in the

amount of effect of the mood manipulations.

Table 3.1 Experimental research design

Positive buying motivation Negative buying motivation

FIDT DIFT FIDT DIFT

Positive mood 1 2 3 4

Negative mood 5 6 7 8

Neutral mood

(control condition)

9 10 11 12

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3.2 Procedure

Experimental research is also called a true experiment, which is an experiment where one

variable at the time is manipulated and the rest of the variables are controlled/ randomized. In

this research three variables; type of influence technique, mood and buying motivation are

manipulated in order to determine their effect on compliance. Except those manipulations the

rest of the experiment will be identical in order to make sure that some kind of effect is

actually caused by the manipulation and not due to other differences between conditions. The

goal of this experiment is to demonstrate causality.

The execution of this experiment takes place face-to-face, because the sequential requests of

the FIDT and DIFT cannot be properly executed in an online design. The total experiment is

displayed in Appendix I. Furthermore, a major part of the respondents is Dutch therefore the

experiment is translated into Dutch, in order to ensure that participants understand the content.

The translated experiment is displayed in Appendix II.

Respondents are randomly assigned to one of the twelve research conditions. After a short

introduction respondents are asked to recall a life event of the past month which made them

very happy (sad). According to Bohner and Weinerth (2001) this manipulation will put people

in a positive (negative) mood. This mood manipulation is essential in order to generate a

preexisting mood which is unrelated to the stimulus. The control condition in this experiment

will not experience any mood manipulation. According to literature neutral mood inductions

appear to be without affective content (Bless et al., 1992; Wegener et al., 1995).

Subsequently, the present mood state of the respondent is measured, which operates as a

manipulation check.

Then, an image of either chewing gum or pain relievers is displayed. The product is also

shown to the respondent in real life; the product is visible and touchable which makes the

following questions more ‘alive’. Where chewing gum implies a positive buying motivation

and painkillers implies a negative buying motivation (displayed in Appendix III). There is

chosen for these types of products because in the Netherlands they are comparable in price

(€1, 20), color, availability and level of consumer involvement. Both products are available in

the range of products (private brand) of the same supermarket company. There is consciously

chosen for a private brand due to the fact that there is no strong brand preference involved.

Subsequently, is asked whether the respondent has ever bought a similar product.

Next, three sequential request are made. In case of the Foot-in-the-door condition the first

request is the smallest request, which asks the participant to write down some advantages of

this product. The middle request is about the question if they would recommend this product

to family and friends. The third request is ‘Suppose that this product is being sold in a

supermarket at the price of €1, 20. Would you buy this product when you need it?’ which is

the actual target request. The target request is the same in the Door-in-the-face condition, but

the procedure is reversed. The DIFT starts with the greatest request; if the participant is

willing to sell 10 of these products to friends and relatives. These ten products are actually

shown to the respondent. The middle request asks the participant to write down some

advantages and disadvantages of this product. The third, target request, is in fact a downsized

request in comparison to the previous requests.

16

Thereafter, the respondent is asked to rate the product properties of the product through eight

items (e.g. high quality/ poor quality) in order to measure their attitude towards the product.

Then, the respondent’s amount of processing is measured by means of three items.

Respondents are asked to indicate how deeply they have thought when answering the

questions about the product in order to measure their amount of processing (e.g. I have

consciously thought about my answers/ I have not consciously thought about my answers).

Subsequently, the participant is asked to indicate their feeling of being influenced during this

study, which might be interesting in relation to the outcomes of this experiment. Next, there

are three demographical questions about the participant’s gender, age and highest level of

education. Finally, the participants were thanked for their participation in this research.

3.3 Measures

This paragraph discusses the conducted measures in this study concerning the manipulation

check, the potential mediator variable, the potential moderator variables and demographics.

Mood

Mood was measured by a eight-item seven-point semantic differential scale in order to

measure the affective mood sate of the respondent at that particular moment in time. This

scale is original to Allen and Janiszewski (1989), who reported an Alpha of .72 of this scale.

Respondents are asked to respond to the following sentence: ‘At this moment I am feeling’.

The following bipolar adjectives are used in this measurement instrument: relaxed/ tensed,

bad/ good, rested/ tired, distracted/ focused, pleasant/ unpleasant, sad/ happy, positive/

negative and angry/ cheerful.

Amount of processing

Amount of processing was measured by a three-item, seven-point semantic differential scale,

making use of bipolar opposites. Respondents are asked to indicate their amount of processing

when they answered the previous questions about the product. The three opposites in this

measurement instrument are; I have consciously thought about my answers/ I have not

consciously thought about my answers, I made little considerations/ I made many

considerations and I was thinking a lot/ I was thinking a little.

Compliance

Compliance was measured by a three-item, seven-point semantic differential scale.

Compliance was measured in the Foot-in-the-door or the Door-in-the-face procedure, which

both consists of three sequential requests. The influence techniques have reversed procedures.

The FID procedure starts with the smallest request, the third request is the actual target

request, which is a greater request. The DIF procedure starts with the greatest request, the

third request is the target request, which is a smaller (downsized) request. The target request is

the same in both procedures: ‘Suppose that this product is being sold in a supermarket at the

price of €1, 20. Would you buy this product when you need it?’

Demographics

This study included three demographical questions. Respondents are asked to indicate their

gender, age and highest level of education.

17

3.4 Research sample

The sampling technique that is used to collect participants is convenience sampling, which is

a non-probability sampling technique in which respondents are selected due to their

accessibility to the researcher (e.g. friends, family, fellow students). The research sample is

not representative for the entire population. This representation is not required in this

experiment due to the fact that it is not expected that research outcomes are depending on the

demographical characteristics of the respondent.

However, it is of importance to include several respondent groups in the research sample

because in case of one respondent group (e.g. students) the collected data and corresponding

outcomes are only representative for that particular respondent group. In case of a more

diverse research sample, research outcomes are more generalizable. In order to obtain

informational data about 20 participants are essential in each research condition. Therefore, at

least N=240 respondents are participating in this study.

3.5 Reliability

In this section, the intended constructs are tested on their internal consistency by means of a

reliability analysis (Cronbach’s alpha). Table 3.2 gives an overview of the two constructs,

their corresponding reliability, numbers of items and the number of deleted items. Both items

are measured on a 7- point Likert scale. The overview of constructs displayed in Table 3.2

shows that both constructs were acceptable concerning their internal consistency.

Table 3.2 Reliability analysis constructs

Cronbach’s alpha Items Items deleted

Current mood .86 8 0

Amount of processing .73 3 0

18

3.6 Participants

The total number of participants in this experiment was N=240 and consisted of 143 males

(59,6%) and 97 females (40,4%). The experiment included twelve conditions, so each

condition contained 20 participants. Table 3.3 displays the gender, age category and highest

level of education of the participants in this experiment. The research sample consists for

59,3% out of males and for 40,4% out of females, which means that men are over-

represented in this research sample. There is also an over- representation of young people in

the age category of 15- 24 years old and only two respondents in the highest age category of

65+ years old. In addition most respondents followed further education after secondary school

from which 33,3 percent have achieved a bachelor or master degree. However, due to the fact

that this research concerns an experimental design a true reflection of the total population is

not essential in order to obtain valuable information. This research sample has enough

diversity in order to draw valuable conclusions.

Table 3.3 Participants characteristics

Gender Age category Highest level of education

Male

143 (59,6%)

15- 24

111 (46,3%)

Elementary school

2 (0,8%)

Female

97 (40,4%)

25- 34

37 (15,4%)

Secondary school

66 (27,5%)

35- 44 26 (10,8%)

Vocational education

92 (38,3%)

45- 54 34 (14,2%)

Bachelor degree

61 (25,4%)

55- 64 30 (12,5%)

Master degree

19 (7,9%)

65+ 2 (0,8%)

19

4.Results

This chapter discusses the results of this study. First, is discussed whether the mood

manipulation functioned as predicted. Subsequently, the collected data is analyzed in order to

determine if the hypotheses are confirmed or rejected. Additional analyses are conducted with

the demographical information of the respondents and finally, the potential mediating role of

amount of processing is discussed.

4.1 Manipulation check

In this experiment was attempted to manipulate the mood state of the respondent by means of

the first question which requested the participant to recall a happy or sad event of the past

month. According to Bohner and Weinerth (2001) this recall of a happy or sad life event leads

to a more happy/ sad mood. Subsequently, a question was added to measure the current mood

state of the respondent in order to check if the previous mood manipulation functioned as

predicted. This research contained a positive, negative and a no mood manipulation condition.

Each research condition consisted of 80 respondents who answered the current mood question

on a 7- point Likert scale. The purpose of this manipulation was obtaining two respondent

groups, one group in a positive mood and one group in a negative mood. The mean mood

scores in both groups are compared in order to check if the manipulation was successful. In

the positive mood condition the mean mood score was (M = 5.14, SD = .81) and in the

negative mood condition the mean mood score was (M = 4.60, SD = 1.25). There is a

significant difference between the mean mood scores in the positive mood condition and the

negative mood condition F(2, 237) = 2.94, p = < .05, SE = .032. Therefore, can be concluded

that in the positive mood condition the mean mood score was significantly higher compared

to the mean mood score in the negative mood condition and was therefore successful in

creating two different mood groups in this experiment. Additionally in case of the no mood

manipulation which functioned as a control condition the mean mood score was (M = 5.02,

SD = 1.08), which lies in the middle compared to the mean mood scores of the manipulated

conditions.

4.2 Main effects

The upcoming sections are discussing the results of the tested hypotheses concerning main

effects, interaction effects and additional analysis. As shown in Table 4.1, this study

discovered three significant effects. Results indicated that buying motivation significantly

influenced compliance. In addition, there is found a significant interaction effect between type

of influence technique and mood and a significant interaction effect between gender and

buying motivation. Furthermore, the mediation analysis showed that there was no mediating

effect of amount of processing on the relationship between type of influence technique and

compliance or on the other investigated relationships in this study.

20

Table 4.1 Results of the conducted ANOVA’s

Compliance Amount of processing

F p F p

Influence technique < 1 ns < 1 ns

Mood < 1 ns < 1 ns

Buying motivation 24.39 < .001 1.33 ns

Type of influence technique*Mood 2.78 < .05 - -

Type of influence technique*Buying motivation < 1 ns - -

Type of influence technique * Mood * Buying

motivation

< 1 ns - -

Gender * Buying motivation 6.21 < .01 - -

Note. ns = not significant

For a proper functioning of the Door-in-the-face technique it was of importance that the first

request of the sequential requests, which asked the respondent; if they are willing to buy 10 of

these products and sell them to friends and relatives, would be rejected by the majority of the

participants. Results indicated that 92,5 percent of the respondents rejected the first request,

which is a majority part of the participants. So, we can conclude that the Door-in-the-face

technique worked out well. In addition, the study included a question which asked the

participant: ‘Did you feel influenced in this research?’ This question was included due to the

fact that in case one is feeling influenced this might affect the research outcomes. Results

indicated that 89,2 % of the respondents reported that they did not felt influenced in this

research. The other 10,8 % of the respondents were not aware of the true manipulations in this

study.

21

4.2.1 Type of influence technique

This experiment tested a hypothesis concerning the type of influence technique namely: H1a:

The FIDT results in a greater compliance as opposed to the DIFT. In order to test H1a an

ANOVA (univariate analyses of variance) was conducted. The ANOVA results showed that

there was no significant effect of type of influence technique on one’s compliance to the

request F(1, 238) =

22

Hypothesis 2b concerns a

predicted mediation of

amount of processing in

the relationship between

mood and compliance. In

order to test this

hypothesis another

ANOVA was conducted

which examined the

influence of mood on

amount of processing.

The ANOVA results

showed that there was no

significant effect of mood

on amount of processing

F(1, 238) =

23

Hypothesis 3b concerns a predicted mediation of amount of processing in the relationship

between buying

motivation and

compliance. In order to

test this hypothesis another

ANOVA was conducted

which examined the

influence of buying

motivation on amount of

processing. The ANOVA

results showed that there

was no significant effect of

buying motivation on

amount of processing F(1,

238) = 1.33, p = ns, SE =

.082, displayed in Figure

4.4. The mediation is more

thoroughly discussed in

paragraph 4.5.

Figure 4.4 Effect of buying motivation on amount of processing

24

4.3 Interaction effects

As mentioned earlier there are some predictions about the potential moderating effect of mood

and buying motivation on the relationship between type of influence technique and

compliance. In this paragraph these hypotheses are tested by means of the ANOVA

(univariate analyses of variance) test.

In order to test hypothesis 2c and investigate if mood moderates the relationship between type

of influence technique and compliance an ANOVA was conducted. According to the results

there is a significant interaction between type of influence technique and mood F (3, 236) =

2.78, p = < .05. As shown in Figure 4.5, the Foot-in-the-door technique combined with a

positive mood results in a mean score on compliance of (M = 5.40, SD = .19). The FIDT

combined with a negative mood results in a mean score on compliance of (M = 4.75, SD =

.56). The Door-in-the-face technique combined with a positive mood results in a mean score

on compliance of (M = 5.10, SD = 2.00). The DIFT combined with a negative mood results in

a mean score on compliance of (M = 5.79, SD = 1.53). So, in case of a negative mood there is

a smaller difference between

the effectiveness of both

influence techniques. In case

of a positive mood there is a

greater difference in the

effectiveness of both influence

techniques. Participants in a

positive mood scored much

higher on compliance in the

FIDT condition as opposed to

the DIFT condition. Thus, the

FIDT condition is more

effective in case one is in a

positive mood. In addition, the

DIFT is more in effective in

case one is in a negative mood.

To conclude, hypothesis 2c is

confirmed.

Figure 4.5 Interaction between type of influence technique and mood

As a follow-up test, a Univariate Analysis of Variance was conducted to investigate if the

difference between the FIDT and the DIFT on compliance was significantly different in either

a positive or a negative mood condition. The results indicated that the difference on

compliance between the FIDT and the DIFT is marginally significant in case of a positive

mood F(3, 236) = 1.95, p = < .10. There is no significant difference on compliance between

the FIDT and the DIFT in case of a negative mood.

25

Hypothesis 3c stated: buying motivation moderates the relationship between type of influence

technique and compliance. An ANOVA was conducted and the results showed that there was

no significant interaction between type of influence technique and buying motivation F(3,

236) =

26

4.4 Additional analyses

In addition to the performed hypotheses tests there are some additional tests conducted with

the demographic data of the respondent (age, gender and highest level of education). These

tests are conducted in order to check if this information had an effect on the previous results

of this study.

Analysis showed that gender moderates the effect of buying motivation on compliance. The

ANOVA results showed that there was a significant moderating effect of gender on the

relationship between buying motivation and compliance F(3, 236) = 6.21, p = < .01. In

addition, there is found a significant interaction between gender and buying motivation F(3,

236) = 5.20, p = < .02. The mean score on compliance in case of males combined with a

positive buying motivation was (M = 4.65, SD = .20) and het mean score on compliance in

case of males combined with a negative buying motivation was (M = 5.27, SD = .24). On the

other hand the mean score on

compliance for females

combined with a positive

buying motivation was (M =

4.70, SD = .30) and the mean

score on compliance for

females combined with a

negative buying motivation

was (M = 6.43, SD = .24),

displayed in figure 4.6. This

figure demonstrates that in

case of a negative buying

motivation there is a much

greater difference in

compliance between men and

women. In case of a positive

buying motivation this

difference between men and

women is smaller. Figure 4.6 moderating effect of gender

As a follow-up test, a Univariate Analysis of Variance was conducted to investigate if the

difference between men and women on compliance was significantly different in either a

positive or negative buying motivation condition. Results showed that there was no significant

difference between men and women in case of a positive buying motivation F(3, 236) =

27

4.5 Mediation effects

In the theoretical framework was predicted that amount of processing mediates the effect on

compliance. This mediation was predicted concerning the relationships between: type of

influence technique and compliance, mood and compliance, buying motivation and

compliance. The potential mediating role of amount of processing was tested by the criterions

of Baron and Kenny (1986), which suggested a research procedure to determine whether there

is a mediation effect. To determine a mediation, four criteria must be fulfilled:

- The independent variable must affect the dependent variable(s);

- The independent variable must affect the mediator;

- The mediator must affect the dependent variable(s);

- A significant influence of the independent variable on the dependent variable(s) weakens in

the presence of the mediator.

Table 4.2 Results of the mediation analysis

Moderator variables Potential mediator

Type of

influence

technique

Mood

Buying

motivation

Amount of

processing

β p β p β p β p

Compliance < 1 ns < 1 ns 1.18 < .01 < 1 ns

Note. ns = not significant

Table 4.2 displays the results of the mediation analysis. The results indicate that there is no

significant effect of type of influence technique on compliance (β = < 1, ns). The first

criterion is not fulfilled and therefore is concluded that there is no mediation of amount of

processing in this relationship. Hypothesis 1b is rejected. In addition, there is no significant

effect of mood on compliance (β = < 1, ns). With the failure of the first criterion of Baron and

Kenny (1986) is concluded that there is no mediation of amount of processing in this

relationship. Hypothesis 2b is rejected. Furthermore, this table indicates that buying

motivation had a significant effect on compliance (β = 1.18, p = < .01). However, the effect of

buying motivation on the potential mediator amount of processing is not significant (β = < 1,

ns). The second criterion of Baron and Kenny (1986) is not fulfilled and therefore is

concluded that there is no mediation of amount of processing in this relationship. Hypothesis

3b is rejected as well.

28

5.Discussion

In this chapter, the results of the study will be discussed. The acceptance or rejection of the

hypotheses will be discussed in more detail, which is of importance in order to formulate a

clear answer to the main research question. Additionally, the limitations of the study and

suggestions for future research will be specified.

5.1 Discussion of the results

As shown in table 5.1, the study revealed three significant effects. Results indicated that

buying motivation significantly influenced compliance. In addition, there is found a

significant interaction between type of influence technique and mood. In addition to the

performed hypotheses tests there are some additional tests conducted concerning the

demographic data of the participants, in order to test whether this information affected the

previous results of the study. As a result of the additional tests there is found one significant

moderating effect of gender on the relationship between buying motivation and compliance.

Table 5.1 Significant effects

Compliance

F p

Buying motivation 24.39 < .001

Type of influence technique* Mood 2.78 < .05

Gender * Buying motivation 6.21 < .01

Regarding the functioning of both influence techniques, it was of importance that in case of

the Door-in-the-face technique the first request was rejected by the majority of the

participants. The results showed that 92,5 percent of the respondents rejected the first request.

Thus, we conclude that the Door-in-the-face procedure worked out well. Furthermore, a

question was added to the questionnaire which asked the respondent whether they felt

influenced in this research. This is important because it might affect the research outcomes.

The results of this question indicated that 89,2 % of the respondents reported that they did not

felt influenced in this research. The remaining percentage of the respondents was not aware of

the true manipulations.

29

Previously described results did not confirm hypothesis 1a which stated that the Foot-in-the-

door technique results in a greater compliance as opposed to the Door-in-the-face technique.

According to the results, there was no significant effect of type of influence technique on the

participant’s level of compliance. In both influence technique conditions the scores on

compliance were nearly the same. Therefore, hypothesis 1a is rejected. This outcome is in line

with the statement of Cialdini (1975) that the FIDT and the DIFT are equally effective in

gaining compliance. However, in contrast to the prediction in this research that both influence

techniques differ in compliance gaining due to the amount of processing they require.

According to Cialdini and Goldstein (2002) there are multiple social influence techniques

which can be performed in order to gain compliance to a certain request. There are six basic

influence principles which explain how a person might influence another. These principles

can be labeled as liking, reciprocation, commitment and consistency, scarcity, social

validation (social proof) and authority (Cialdini and Goldstein, 2002). The outcome of this

study indicated no difference in compliance gaining between the Foot-in-the-door technique,

based on the principle of commitment and consistency and the Door-in-the-face technique,

based on the principle of reciprocation. Perhaps the other principles of influence are more

suitable for compliance gaining. Therefore, it is interesting to investigate the effects of the

other principles on compliance in future research.

The mediation analysis showed that there was no mediation of amount of processing in the

relationship between type of influence technique and compliance. Therefore, hypothesis 1b

which predicted a mediation of amount of processing in this relationship is rejected. There is

no evidence for a difference in amount of processing between the Foot-in-the-door technique

and the Door-in-the-face technique.

This study tested hypothesis 2a which stated that a positive mood would result in a greater

compliance as opposed to a negative mood. The previously described results did not confirm

this hypothesis. There was no significant difference in the participant’s level of compliance in

either a positive or negative mood state. Therefore, hypothesis 2a is rejected. This outcome

does not correspond with the statement of Mitchell (2000) who argued that one’s mood state

affects the effectiveness of the influence technique, resulting in a greater compliance due to a

greater effectiveness of the influence technique in case of a positive mood as opposed to a

negative mood. Furthermore, was predicted that amount of processing mediated the

relationship between mood and compliance (H2b). The mediation analysis showed that there

was no mediating effect of amount of processing in this relationship. There was no significant

difference in amount of processing between the positive or negative mood condition.

Therefore, hypothesis 2b is rejected. This outcome is not consistent with the findings of

Mitchell (2000) who stated that a person’s mood state will affect one’s amount of processing,

and more specifically that a positive mood state results in less cognitive effort as opposed to a

negative mood state.

Furthermore, the results indicated that there was a significant interaction between type of

influence technique and mood. In case of a negative mood there is a small difference between

the effectiveness of both influence techniques. However, in a positive mood state there is a

greater difference between the effectiveness of both influence techniques. Participants in a

positive mood state had a much greater compliance in the FIDT condition as opposed to the

DIFT condition.

30

The Univariate Analysis of Variance showed that the difference between the Foot-in-the-door

technique and the Door-in-the face technique was marginally significant in case of a positive

mood. There is no significant difference on compliance between the FIDT and the DIFT in

case of a negative mood. The Foot-in-the-door technique is more effective in case one is in a

positive mood. The Door-in-the-face technique is more effective in case one is in a negative

mood. Therefore, hypothesis 2c is confirmed (α = .10): mood moderates the relationship

between type of influence technique and compliance. Thus, there is evidence that mood

moderates this relationship, however this evidence is marginally significant.

This study also tested hypothesis 3a which stated that a positive buying motivation results in a

greater compliance as opposed to a negative buying motivation. The results showed that there

was a significant effect of buying motivation (positive/ negative) on compliance. Compliance

was significantly higher in case of a negative buying motivation. This outcome is not in

accordance with the hypothesis which predicted the opposite result of a greater compliance in

case of a positive buying motivation. Therefore, hypothesis 3a is rejected. Additionally,

hypothesis 3b predicted a mediation of amount of processing in the relationship between

buying motivation and compliance. A greater compliance in case of a positive buying

motivation due to a decreased amount of processing, which makes someone less critical about

the request. The result of the mediation analysis showed that there was no mediating role of

amount of processing in this relationship. Therefore, hypothesis 3b is rejected. This study also

investigated a hypothesis concerning a potential moderating effect of buying motivation on

the relationship between type of influence technique and compliance (H3c). The results

showed that there was no moderating effect of buying motivation on this relationship and

hypothesis 3c is rejected.

A possible explanation for the outcomes concerning buying motivation might be the necessity

of the product. It might be that one is more critical towards a product with a positive buying

motivation, due to the fact that the purchase of the product is often pleasant but not necessary

and may be more impulsive. In case of a product with a negative buying motivation, the

purchase of the product is mostly based on a need, which makes the product (e.g. painkillers)

more useful and necessary in the eyes of the consumer. In addition, this outcome might be

explained by the reasoning that everybody occasionally needs painkillers, but not everybody

likes to chew gum.

As previously discussed, the results of the mediation analysis showed that there was no

mediation of amount of processing in the relationships between type of influence technique,

mood and buying motivation on compliance. Based on the outcomes, the mediating role of

amount of processing could be dismissed. However, there may be some remarks regarding the

measurement instrument of the participant’s amount of processing. The three-item

measurement instrument was self developed and might be not suitable for a true measurement

of one’s amount of processing. Therefore, it may be interesting to investigate the role of one’s

amount of processing again possibly with an already existing, more subtle and proven

measurement instrument in order to measure the participant’s true amount of processing and

reconsider the mediating role of amount of processing in future research.

31

In addition to the performed hypotheses tests there are some additional tests conducted

regarding the demographic data of the respondents. In order to test whether this information

affected the previous results. The results of the additional analyses indicated that there was a

significant moderating effect of gender on the relationship between buying motivation and

compliance. The effect of a negative buying motivation on compliance is much greater in case

of female respondents as opposed to male respondents. This result implies that hypothesis 3a

works out differently for males and females.

A possible explanation for the gender difference in case of a negative buying motivation

might be a difference in purchase behavior. It might be the case that in general women

purchase more products with a negative buying motivation as opposed to men. A lot of

women do necessary purchases for themselves, their boyfriend or husband, or their family. Of

course, men do these purchases as well, but perhaps not so often. Therefore, it might be more

likely that women buy a product with a negative buying motivation as opposed to men. This

could be old-fashioned reasoning but it is worth investigating in future research. Based on the

moderating effect of gender on the relationship between buying motivation and compliance,

all executed tests were tested on a potential moderating effect of gender. This was not the

case; gender only moderated the effect of the above reported relationship.

5.2 Limitations and future research

In this section, some of the limitations of the study will be discussed and potential future

research opportunities will be specified.

The first limitation of the current study might be the number of respondents. The number of

respondents in each research condition was 20. This is the minimum amount of respondents

required in order to obtain informational data. It would be useful in future research to increase

the number of participants per research condition (e.g. 40). The research outcomes would be

more solid in case of a greater number of respondents. Furthermore, there are some remarks

regarding the measurement instrument of the participant’s amount of processing. This three-

item measurement instrument was self developed and might be not suitable for a true

measurement of amount of processing. Therefore, it may be interesting to investigate the role

of one’s amount of processing again possibly with an already existing, more subtle

measurement instrument in order to measure the participant’s true amount of processing and

reconsider the mediating role of amount of processing in future research.

Additionally, this study demonstrated a gender difference on compliance in case of a negative

buying motivation. A potential explanation for this outcome might be a difference in purchase

behavior. It might be the case that in general women purchase more products with a negative

buying motivation as opposed to men. Many women do purchases for themselves, their

boyfriend or husband, or their family. Of course, men do these purchases as well, but perhaps

not so often. This could be old-fashioned reasoning but it is worth investigating in future

research.

32

In this study, chewing gum represented a positive buying motivation and painkillers

represented a negative buying motivation. It is likely that people consider those products as a

positive and a negative buying motivation, however this is not tested beforehand. It might be

useful in future research to pre- test this assumption. Additionally, it might be the case the

persons perceive products differently. Therefore, it is useful to investigate other products

which might be viewed as a positive (e.g. candy) and a negative (e.g. tampons) buying

motivation. A pre-research of buying motivation makes it possible to test if there are any

differences in results due to another product selection.

This study focused on two basic principles of influence: commitment & consistency and

reciprocity. According to Cialdini and Goldstein (2002) there are multiple social influence

techniques which can be performed for compliance gaining. According to Cialdini and

Goldstein (2004) there are six basic influence principles which explain how a person might

influence another; these principles can be labeled as liking, reciprocation, commitment and

consistency, scarcity, social validation (social proof) and authority. It might be the case that

there is a much greater effect of another principle of influence (e.g. liking) as opposed to

commitment & consistency and reciprocity on compliance. Therefore, it is useful to

investigate the effects of the other four principles of influence on compliance in future

research.

33

6. Conclusion

This chapter answers the main research question of the study: which influence technique the

Foot-in-the-door technique or the Door-in-the-face technique is most effective in compliance

gaining? and is there a moderating effect of mood and buying motivation on this relationship?

According to the results, the Foot-in-the-door technique does not result in a greater

compliance compared to the Door-in-the-face technique. This outcome is in line with the

statement of Cialdini (1975) that both influence techniques are equally effective in

compliance gaining. However, in contrast to the prediction in this research that they differ in

compliance gaining due to the amount of processing they require. Furthermore, the mediation

analysis showed that there was no mediating role of amount of processing in the relationship

between type of influence technique and compliance or in any other investigated relationship

in this study.

The research outcomes indicated a marginally significant moderating effect of positive mood

on the relationship between type of influence technique and compliance. There is a small

difference in compliance in case of a negative mood. However, there is a greater difference in

compliance in case of a positive mood. In case of a positive mood, there was a greater

compliance in the Foot-in-the-door condition as opposed to the Door-in-the-face condition.

Thus, the FIDT results in a greater compliance in case one is in a positive mood. Additionally,

there was a significant moderating effect of buying motivation on the relationship between

type of influence technique and compliance. Compliance was significantly greater in case of a

negative buying motivation compared to a positive buying motivation. Furthermore, the

results indicated a significant moderating effect of gender on the relationship between buying

motivation and compliance. The effect of a negative buying motivation on compliance is

much greater in case of female respondents.

To answer the main research question, both influence techniques are equally effective in

compliance gaining. Buying motivation moderated the relationship between type of influence

technique and compliance. Positive mood (marginally) moderated this relationship.

34

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Appendix I: Experiment

This appendix displays the English version of the experiment.

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Dear respondent,

Thank you for your participation in this research.

This experiment investigates a possible influence of mood, buying motivation and type of

influence technique on one’s attitude towards a product and compliance to a certain request.

This experiment will take approximately 10 minutes of your time and is anonymous. In case

you unfortunately decide that you are not willing to corporate in this research after the

completion of the experiment please send an e-mail to: l.sterling@student.utwente.nl.

Kind regards,

Lotte Sterling

University of Twente

Master Communication Studies

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Mood manipulation

1. For this research it is desirable that each respondent starts this research in the same state of

mind and therefore I would ask you to recall a life event of the past month which made you

very happy (sad). Please go back to that moment, and take 3 minutes of your time to reach

that feeling again… (Bohner & Weinerth, 2001).

2. How long ago took this event place?

- Several days ago

- 1 week ago

- 2 weeks ago

- 3 weeks ago

- 4 weeks ago

mailto:l.sterlin